I love how the morons on Detroit sports radio (read: 97.1 The Ticket) sneered at Golden Tate because of the fact the Eagles were under .500 with three weeks to go in the NFL season.

Naturally, Philly wound up winning ALL of their last three games - something Stafford has NEVER been able to do when playoff hopes were still alive - and are now playing today against the Bears.

The dumb shits on the Ticket are the same jackasses who as recently as three seasons ago were declaring Matt Stafford as one of the best QBs in the game today. Now, they are treating him like a pariah! Is he grossly overpaid? YOU BET. But there's no middle ground with the assclowns on 97.1. He's either one of the best or one of the worst depending on the day of the week.

The fact of the matter is this - he's a middle-of-the-pack starting QB. I've been saying that for years now. Now, I'd probably add the qualifier "at best" to the end of that first sentence. He has weaknesses. He is not a good scrambler. He cracks under pressure. He's unimaginative (I place the blame for that more on the coaching staff). He has immense trouble coming up with big plays in season critical games.

Oh. My. God. My heart sinks for that Bears kicker. I've never seen a missed FG attempt ever be THAT close in the playoffs. Off the upright, looked like it might clear the crossbar, then bounced off the crossbar failing to clear it. Game over. Eagles win.

Last time I saw a kick like that was like 10 years ago in regular season - I think Baltimore vs either Cleveland or Cincinnati where it hit a goal post then the crossbar's support post but it had actually CLEARED the crossbar and then bounced back out so it was reversed and called good.

Such a painful way to lose. OUCH. btw even though it is irrelevant now I sure thought the Philly 2-point attempt was over the goal line - I'm surprised the refs not only upheld the no good call but actually confirmed it.

There also was a terrible call early in the game on what should've been a completed pass + unrecovered fumble. Instead, the refs ruled the pass incomplete and robbed the Bears of a first down. I believe the Bears ultimately scored a TD on that same drive.

Actually, it is quite amazing how many players have left various professional Detroit sports teams (quite a few from the Tigers as well) to go on to immediately be successful somewhere else.

Is it just me, or does it seem like it's getting to where there's incentive to play badly because they're in Detroit, anymore? Like...all four teams going anywhere from bad to mediocre (at best) at once?

There also was a terrible call early in the game on what should've been a completed pass + unrecovered fumble. Instead, the refs ruled the pass incomplete and robbed the Bears of a first down. I believe the Bears ultimately scored a TD on that same drive.

That play didn't pass the eyeball test as a completed pass in real time, much the same as Megatron's famous endzone "didn't complete the process" catch did pass the eyeball test as a completion. Yes, I know the letter of the new rule, but still....

I was content with the ultimate ruling on the play.

I just want to say that I soooo feel for all Bears fans this morning. Gawd, a double-doink.
By the same token, I'm happy for Tate and the Schwartz.

"The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure."
- Sydney J. Harris

The Lions decade of futility aside I understand getting rid of Tate when they did.
As to Eric Ebron I have no answer as to why he can now catch the football but he sure didn't/couldn't in Detroit. Lions fans didn't go sour on the guy because they didn't like his haircut or the color of his car.

As to Eric Ebron I have no answer as to why he can now catch the football but he sure didn't/couldn't in Detroit.

If you watched him play this weekend you'd see he was the same player; i.e., he'd drop as many as he caught. He was certainly targeted in the end zone this year which accounts for his numerable touchdown catches. He was also utilized to his strength as a split receiver and H-back more than as a traditional tight end, much as ex-Lions OC Joe Lombardi visualized using him when he was drafted. His blocking certainly didn't look any better than before.

"The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure."
- Sydney J. Harris